Outrigger for space missiles



May 5, 1970 E. ARBEITLANG ETAL 3,510,086

OUTRIGGER FOR SPACE MISSILES Filed May 16. 1967 INVENTORS Erich Arbeitlcmg Heinrich Mothes Siegwurd Lunz B i [Wm M y ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,510,086 OUTRIGGER FOR SPACE MISSILES Erich Arheitlang and Heinrich Mathes, Ottohrunn, and Sigward Lanz, Munich, Germany, assignors to Bolkow Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Ottobrunn, near Munich, Germany Filed May 16, 1967, Ser. No. 638,970 Claims priority, application Germany, May 26, 1966,

U.S. Cl. 2441 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DlSCLGSURE An outrigger for space missiles comprises two flexible longitudinal supports which are adapted to be wound around the missile body and between which are arranged devices, for example, mats, nets, etc., for receiving or mounting solar cells. The supports are advantageously made of an inflatable flexible material in the form of a tube such as a rubber or plastic hose which can be inflated by means of pressure gas in order to cause it to unwind from the missile body, and it advantageously includes spring return means for winding it back on the body When the air pressure is removed therefrom.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates in general to missile construction and in particular to a new and useful outrigger for space missiles which comprises a frame forming element which is adapted to be wound around the missile body and which may be opened outwardly therefrom such as by the use of air pressure to inflate the parts thereof.

Heretofore it was difficult to accommodate large surface Outriggers in the limited effective loading space of carrier rockets. Besides the 'known hinged and folding structures, windable Outriggers are known which include supports or tubes which can be wound on drums. Each of these tubes is formed of a band of spring steel and the like which will coil in the unwound state in a direction transverse to its longitudinal axis, the lateral axis overlapping by about 180. For retraction, the tube is pulled through a special guide so that it is brought into a flat band condition and is then wound on a drum. Because of the overlapping, the tubes have about a 50% higher weight with about 70% of the strength of a seamless tube of the same diameter and same wall thickness. The overall weight of the entire outrigger construction is further increased by the weight of the extension devices and their drive. In addition to the great weight, another disadvantage is that the system is very complicated in its construction and operation so that it is susceptible to trouble.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an outrigger which includes hoses or inflatable memhere which are used in longitudinal supports or end members of a frame structure which may be easily wound around the body of a missile. The hoses, for example, may be of a material such as a rubberized fabric or the like which may be flattened upon deflation so that they may be wound flat around the satellite body and will take up only a small amount of space in such a condition. Two such hoses are advantageously employed which comprise longitudinal frame members between which cross support members or net-like elements or plastic sheets are connected. These cross elements are advantageously also flexible so that they can be wound together with the hoses. Elastic hoses of this type have a favorable ratio of strength to weight so that the weight per unit area of the whole outrigger can be reduced by more than half that of the prior art devices. The device may be erected 3,510,086 Patented May 5, 1970 in space using a stored pressure gas which is simple to handle and store in a container in the flying body or missile. The inflation system merely requires the opening of a valve to direct the gas pressure from the storage tank through the hose to the outer end thereof so that it will unfold automatically from the outer end first to unwind itself from the flying body. The spacing between the longitudinal hose members is maintained by the cross elements or supports which may also be made of an inflatable hose material. Inflatable cross members are particularly advantageous where the elements must assume a different shape in the wound state than in the unwound state. In the preferred arrangement all of the frame structure elements form in the unwound state a substantially plane surface frame which is secured on the missile by means of a joint permitting movement about at least one axis. Such a plane surface design is necessary, for example, when. the outrigger is to be used to receive solar cells and where the outrigger must be arranged to permit direct orientation thereof to the sun.

In the preferred form the connecting joint for the outrigger frame structure is advantageously such that a gas under pressure may be fed outwardly from the vehicle to the hose elements. The connecting member about which a cross support member of the frame may be pivoted constitutes the only point which will not move relative to the satellite body during movement of the outrigger. The outrigger frame may be pivoted on the connecting member to orient it in respect to the satellite body.

The supporting hoses can be either coiled upon them selves or wound about the satellite body. In the latter case in accordance with another feature of the invention the pressure gas is connected through flexible lines to the interior support hoses out to their outer ends. The outer ends are thus inflated first so that the inflation causes a gradual separation of the outrigger from the missile body.

In accordance with another feature of the invention the supporting hose elements of the outrigger frame structure may advantageously provide a hollow portion through which a foaming plastic may be directed and permitted to harden in order to form a permanent rigid frame structure. This foaming action may be produced by a catalytic gas acting on a precross-linked synthetic resin under the influence of temperature. With such a construction the tightness of the hoses need not be so rigid since they will retain their rigid form under the influence of the hardened foaming plastic after the pressure gas has escaped.

A further feature of the invention provides a return means for rewinding the supporting elements of the outrigger back upon itself or back upon the body of the missile. For this purpose, elastic inserts such as spring bands are connected into the supporting hoses so that they become stretched in the unwound state to hold the hose material outwardly but will wind the hose back again when the gas pressure diminishes or closes. The restoring force of such spring inserts can be relatively low since the empty hoses are easy to bend.

In some instances it is desirable to provide weights at the outer ends of the supporting hoses, especially for spin-stabilized satellites which perform a gyrating motion about an axis perpendicular to the unwinding direction of the outrigger. The centrifugal forces acting on the weights will enhance the unwinding and counteract sagging of the supports in the operating position of the Outriggers.

Accordingly it i an object of the invention to provide a missile having an outrigger construction which includes at least two longitudinal support members which are spaced apart and which are of a flexible material permitting them to be wound upon themselves or around a v.) missile body and which are advantageously inflatable so that they may be extended to an outward frame forming structure between which secondary elements such as support elements may be draped or secured.

A further object of the invention is to provide an outrigger for a satellite which is'simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, it operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a satellite having two Outriggers constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 with the outrigger shown in a non-operative state wound about the satellite body;

FIG. 3 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a satellite body having an outrigger which is partly unrolled;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial sectional and partial elevational view of another embodiment of outrigger; and

FIGS. 5a and 5b are partial sectional views of the end of a upporting hose for an outrigger shown in a fully inflated and partially relaxed condition, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied therein as indicated in FIGS. 1-3 comprises a cylindrical satellite body generally designated 1 having two outriggers generally designated 2, 2 thereon.

In accordance with the invention, the Outriggers 2 are of frame-like construction and they are disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the satellite 1. The supporting structure of the Outriggers 2 are formed by at least two flexible members or tubes 3, 3 and crossconnections 4 which maintain the supports 3, 3 in spaced parallel relationship. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the cross members 4 comprise rigid bars. At the satellite end of the support structures 2, 2 there is provided a cross frame member or connecting pipe member 6 which is articulated at a connecting joint 7 on the satellite 1. The supports 6 are joined to the support elements 3 by mean of end connecting pieces 5.

Gas inflation and/or for regularizing supplied from a pressurized container 8 inside the satellite 1 through the joint 7 and through a flexible supply tube 9 which extends through each support 3. As indicated in FIG. 3, the gas is advantageously supplied through the tube 9 to the outer end thereof from which it exits into the support member 3 and gradually inflates this member and causes it to unroll from the cylindrical satellite 1. After the support structures are erected, the outrigger may be pivoted about the joint 7 in order to properly orient the out riggers in respect to the sun, for example. The actuating devices for the orientation of the outriggers 2 are not represented.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 13, the supports 3, 3 with the cross supports 4 provide a mounting for solar cells 20, for example, to permit transformation of the solar energy into electric current.

For shipping, the Outriggers 2 are first turned so that the end support 6 extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the satellite 1. In this position the flexible Outriggers can be wound around the satellite body 1 in the manner indicated in FIG. 2. Since the satellite body is cylindrical and since the outrigger 2 is curved in only one plane, the straight connections extending perpendicular to the curvature can be rigid without inter- I fering with the winding thereof around the satellite body 1.

In FIG. 4, there is indicated an outrigger enerally designated 2' in which a complete inflatable frame structure is made up of longitudinal hose elements 3, 3 and cross hose elements 4', 4. The cross connections 4 are connected internally to the supporting members 3' so that the entire frame structure can be inflated by gas pressure fed through the joint 7, as in the other embodiment. In addition, in FIG. 4 there is indicated a precrosslinked synthetic resin coat 11 which is applied on the inner wall of the hoses 3' and 4. This resin is made to harden by a catalytic gas introduced into the hoses in the same way as the pressure gas.

In the embodiment indicated in FIGS. 5a and 5b, supporting hose 3" is provided with a spring band 12 therein which has an initial stress urging the hose to wind up either around the satellite body or directly upon itself. The initial stress of the spring 12 is exceeded in the unwound stretch stage of the hose 3" by the greater yield stress of the hose caused by the internal pressure. When the internal pressure within the hose 3" drops below a certain value, the hose will coil under the action of the spring band 12, as indicated in FIG. 5b. The outer end of the bands 3 are provided with a weight 13 which is worked into the end of the hose and which enhances the unwinding process and the orientation of the outrigger in spin stabilized satellites.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. An outrigger for space missiles for supporting devices such as solar cells, antenna elements and the like, comprising a satellite body, at least two spaced flexible and windable longitudinal support members wound around said body, cross support means arranged between said support members, said support members comprising inflatable tubes which are adapted to be extended outwardly from said body, and means for inflating said tubes to cause them to unwind and to extend outwardly from said body.

2. An outrigger according to claim 1, wherein said cross support means comprises at least one cross member maintaining said longitudinal support members in fixed spaced relationship.

3. An outrigger according to claim 2, wherein said cross member comprises an inflatable tube.

4. An outrigger according to claim 1, wherein said support members form a frame structure, and pivot means for pivoting said frame structure about an axis substantially parallel to and between said support members in their extended position.

5. An outrigger according to claim 1, including pressure gas means connected to said support member tubes for supplying gas under pressure for inflating said tubes.

6. An outrigger according to claim 1, including a spring carried by each of said support members tending to roll said support members into a roll, said spring being of a force to permit the inflation of said support members and the unwinding of the support members from a roll.

7. An outrigger according to claim 1, including weights arranged at the outer ends of each of said support members to enhance the unwinding characteristics and to orient the Outriggers in respect to a flying body.

8. A flying body comprising a cylindrical body portion, at least one outrigger comprising a substantially rectangular frame formed by at least two spaced inflatable and windable support tubes, a cross frame member connected between said support tubes adjacent said missile body, and means mounting said cross frame member on said body portion for pivotal movement about an axis substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the missile,

5 said outrigger being windable around the body of said missile and being inflatable to rigidize said support tubes, to cause them to extend outwardly from one side of said body.

9. A flying body according to claim 8, including means on said satellite body for supplying gas under pressure to said support tubes to inflate said support tubes.

10. An outrigger for space missiles, particularly satellites comprising at least two spaced flexible and windable longitudinal support members, cross support means arranged between said support members, said support members comprising inflatable tubes, pressure gas means for supplying gas under pressure for inflating said tubes connected to said support member tubes at a location to supply the outer end of said support member tubes with gas under pressure before the inner ends thereof in order to facilitate unwinding from the outside of the member first.

11. A flying body comprising a cylindrical body p0rtion, at least one outrigger comprising a substantially rectangular frame formed by at least two spaced inflatable and windable support tubes, a cross frame member connected between said support tubes adjacent said missile body, means mounting said cross frame member on said body portion for pivotal movement about an axis substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the missile, said outrigger being windable around the body of said missile and being inflatable to rigidize said support tubes to cause them to extend outwardly from one side of said body, said means for inflating said support tubes includ ing a hose extending therethrough for delivering air under pressure to the outer end first to cause inflation of this end first and the gradual unwinding of the support tubes and outrigger from said missile body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,614,636 10/1952 Prewitt. 3,326,497 6/ 1967 Michelson. 3,333,643 8/1967 Girard.

20 3,364,631 1/ 1968 Pleasants.

FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner 

